The Blood is Love: Part1: Eternal Kiss
by fairieimp
Summary: When a 3000 year old vampire meets 26 year old male, sparks fly and destiny intervenes... please R&R... first in a series.
1. Authors Note

Howdy y'all:sigh: "Of Angels and Demons" has currently been put on hold, while I (and all of the muses that I have) try and figure out how to fix my gargantuan mistake I made when I wrote the third chapter down, (this just goes to show you how brilliant I am….), so I have started a NEW and improved story, just so you, my loyal fans, can have something of mine to read.

This new story is called "The Blood is Love."(I was going to title it "Queen of the Damned," but since that title belongs to the awesome Anne Rice, I decided not to). This title does not belong to me either, but I thought that it fit better… it belongs to Queens of the Stone Age, a I am going to be using their song in this fiction… and in the other four parts of this series that I am writing.

This series is based around the 'forbidden lovers' pairings (mina/mal rei/jade ami/zoi lita/neph and of course sere/dare), but this specific part deals with Ami and Zoicite.

The main story line is: the females are 3000 year old vampires and the males are 20 something year old men (the generals are the body guards of Darien (aka Darek), who happens to be the CEO of the 'Shield Corporation,' a multi-billion dollar corporation that deals with complex computer systems like those used by NASA, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Armed Forces). My vampire females, are searching for their mates, the men that will be with them forever, and so that they can have their children (yes, I know vampires shouldn't be able to have kids, but this is my world and if you don't like it, don't come in!).

Anyway, here are the character name lists so you don't get confused:

Manga/American Name – Name in my Story

Usagi/Serena – Serenitatis 'Sere/Seren' (in the human world: Serenity Lunari)

Minako/Mina – Minakarei 'Mina/Minney' (in the human world: Minney Karre)

Ami/Amy – Amilarina 'Ames/Amila' (in the human world: Amila Mercer)

Makoto/Lita – Litiunia 'Liti' (in the human world: Litana Jovan)

Rei/Raye – Reitiana 'Rei/Reitia' (in the human world: Reitia Martus)

Mamoru/Darien – Darek Ryan (Dare) Conley

Malachite – Malachi Norman (Mal) Garrick

Zoicite/Zoisite –Zephyr Wesley (Z) Evans

Jadeite – Joseph Benjamin (Joe) Murphy

Nephrite – Nicolas Sterling (Nic) Jenkins

**Disclaimer: Neither Sailor Moon nor the song "The Blood is Love" belong to me… unfortunately. This is the disclaimer for the entire fiction! It will not be on here again. **

Okay, there you have it… oh! I almost forgot… this is the song:

**"The Blood Is Love" – Queens of the Stone Age**

_I saw you, in a way  
Beyond figure out  
These lines of life have been drawn & can't be removed  
Our eyes is all it took to know_

_Open up your eyes  
Deep blue, glassy take  
& swim 'til water & sky  
Now are one, out of two  
Oh, my bloodshot eyes_

_Open up your mouth  
Touch your lips to mine  
That we may make a kiss that can pierce through death & survive  
Your words have branded my mind_

_Still I hold your hand  
Wrapped as if a ring  
We of flesh & blood are only carrying  
It's so hard to_

_Well, you know_

_The seed waits for the reaper to sew  
Every breath an art  
The dignity to it can strain & break your heart  
Take all your pieces home  
You ask when you're alone, "what is love"  
The blood is love_

Now each verse is going to be the theme of each story… the theme for this story is:

_Open up your mouth_

_Touch your lips to mine_

_That we may make a kiss that can pierce through death and survive_

_Your words have branded my mind_

This may not make any sense to you now, but at the end of the story it should.

So much for an un-bothersome authors note!

Ciao!

Fairieimp

Questions? Comments? Email me at fairieimp (at) yahoo (dot) com or AIM at aphquack or yahoo! Messenger fairieimp.


	2. Prologue

Hey y'all! I'm posting the prologue to "The Blood is Love: Part One: Eternal Kiss." This is so that all of you can have something to read and so that I can continue recuperating from my hand surgery that I had a week ago. This story is going to be so much fun! The prologue is going to be in first person, but the rest of the story will be in third person omniscient, which is one of my favorite styles of writing.

My friends are always complaining that I never finish a story… but I don't think that that is true… I will_ eventually_ finish my stories, especially when I get the time to work on them… (I know its summer break, but I have to work and then there is band camp coming up…. And then after band camp school starts up again and then getting up stories is going to be a pain… so y'all are going to have to make due with what you can get….

Thanks to ladytokyo for reviewing.  
Anyway… I'll shut up now so I can start my prologue.

See y'all at the end!

Fairieimp

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**The Blood is Love: Part One: Eternal Kiss**

**Prologue**

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_**Open up your mouth  
Touch your lips to mine  
That we may make a kiss that can pierce through death & survive  
Your words have branded my mind**_

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

(Amilarina's Point of View)

When I was a little girl, my father would always tell me stories about the _vlampbirien_, the walking dead, what are now known as vampires. He would tell me they were nothing but faerytales, just a figment of one's imagination, not to be thought of as real. For years I believed him, but the night before my coming of age ceremony, I saw the Queen of the _Vlampbirien_. She was beautiful with her long silver-blond hair and alabaster skin… I almost though I was dreaming… then she spoke to me… she told me that I was one of her chosen and that I would be with her for eternity…. I told my consort (who just happened to become my husband) what had happened that night. He told me that it wasn't worth worrying over and that it was probably in my dreams; I believed him.

My consort was Santeo, a handsome man with long curly copper-blonde hair that he always held back in a leather tie. He had forest green eyes, and was tanned, sinewy, and tall. He was the best hunter in our village. Santeo and I locked eyes on the morning of my ceremony, and I chose him out of all of the village boys and men to be my consort. When I became pregnant with his child and no other's, the village looked to our fertility goddess, Gamenna, in thanks and praise… bearing a child with your first consort was considered a blessing and good fortune. Santeo and I were wed soon after the announcement of my pregnancy.

Our first child was a girl; we named her Casinai. I got pregnant again after Casinai's fifth birthday. Not soon after that Santeo came down with a fever, which Casinai caught soon after. They both died three months later. My second child, a boy, was still born (I named him Santi before his burial).

Wait- why am I telling you my story when you don't know who I am?

I am Amilarina, known as Amila Mercer, famous author, around you humans. I am a huntress of the night, a _Vlampbirien, _vampire. However, I doubt any of you will believe me, since the stupid Lestat de Lioncourt and his league of the New Orleans Vampires, as I like to call them, exploited us all through the now famous Mrs. Rice; but that is the price one has to pay when one of your 'family' wishes to be known throughout the entire world!

Now I know what you are thinking if you have read Lestat's books: "Lestat, Maharet and Mekare killed the Queen of the Vampires in _The Queen of the Damned_!" I'm not disputing that fact, but who said that Akasha was the only vampire queen? _My _queen is of a different race of vampires, a type of vampire that can go out into the sun on occasion and have children (think of the "day-walker" type vampires). Sure we still crave blood, and all that other good vampire stuff, but my fellow vampires and I can actually have children! (It is besides the point that there are only five of us left)

But alas! What is eternal life without some one to share it with you?

Sigh.

No one ever thinks that me, the beautiful and exotic Amila Mercer, is a vampire because I still have the deep tan skin that I had when I was alive. Granted it has faded significantly, but it is no where near the alabaster white of my queen and my companions, which works to my advantage because I can actually pass as human and afford to go out into the sun to gather intelligence for my companions and queen.

I was doing that when I learned about the arrival of the famous Darek Conley, CEO of Shield enterprises, and his famous body guards and companions Malachi Garrick, Zephyr Evans, Joseph Murphy, and Nicolas Jenkins (who are all the most gorgeous men on the planet… especially that Zephyr… such an interesting and unique name….).

Anyway, I'm rambling… and besides, you will learn more about that later.

Sigh again.

By the way, if you are ever in town, drop by the Raven King. Tell the bartender, Kel, that I sent you… he might just give you a nice surprise….

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(Zephyr's Point of View)

Everyone tells me that Zephyr is such a unique name. I **hate **the name Zephyr. I can't imagine why my parents bestowed upon me such an awful name (I mean, if they wanted a "Z" name, they could've named me Zachary, Zachaeus, or even Zavier)A.N.. It's from the Greek _Zephyros_, meaning "the west wind." (Zephyros was the god of the West Wind in Grecian Mythology, by the way) It's supposed to be pronounced "ZEF-ur," but I think that that pronunciation is stupid. I prefer to have it pronounced "ZEF-ear," (hey, it's my name and I can pronounce it any way I choose to do so) but that's only if someone has to say my full name (Zephyr Wesley Evans). If they don't, I prefer Z, as in the last letter of the alphabet, pronounced "Zee." (See that's not hard at all!)

Sigh.

Being one of the best body guards in the world is a tough job, especially when everyone wishes to kill the person that you are trying to protect. (But hey, I get to carry around heavy duty automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and a shit load of knives and other objects of mass destruction. (Okay, maybe not "mass destruction", but I'm working on it) I even have my own sword that I carry around on occasion. My personal favorites (which I have in identical back holsters) are my Colt 1911 automatics. I have two of them with custom hand grips and extended magazines. And to top it all off, I shoot perfect 300's at the firing range with them). I also have a twin shot .44 magnum Derringer in my right boot and two spring assisted ceramic knives in wrist sheaths.

It is my personal belief that my comrades (Mal, Nic and Joe) and I are the best body guards in the world. Mal is the stoic leader of our faction, with his huge muscles, he scares the shit out of just about everyone. Nic… well, Nic is something else entirely. He's not huge like Mal, or even funny like Joe, and he's definitely not as smart as I am… but he's scary (I mean, Mal is like seven feet tall, and Nic is almost seven feet tall… and he's not body builder huge, but he's a pretty big guy). Then there is Joe. Joe is muscular, but not huge, and he's a practical joker. What make's him scary is the way that he can be laughing one second, see something out of place, and turn into psycho maniacal killer mode and be all serious. Shudder. I **hate **it when he does that (I'm an experienced body guard, killed about twenty or so bad guys and that look scares the shit out of me!)

And then there's lil' old me.

What makes this sinewy, six foot two and a half inch tall, long curly blonde haired, green eyed, gorgeous, hunk of a twenty-seven year old male scary? It's the fact that I graduated valedictorian of my Senior class in college at Harvard in computer sciences, computer engineering, and criminology (all of them Doctorates; did I mention that I did all that in three years?), and the fact that my I.Q. is above the max of three hundred (what does an I.Q. Test matter for anyway?), and possibly the fact that I have modified everything the mansion that we all share to use biometrics for fingerprints and hand prints (on the doors and door handles), and foot prints and shoe prints (in the floor boards and mats), laser eye recognition, and various other items of new-age development that keep anyone from entering the house (could it also be the fact that I carry around lots and lots of firepower?). I have also modified the cars to use biometrics keyless entry and voice recognition startup. (And I modified the weapons that we use to recognize biometrics as well.) I may not look scary, but I'll be damned if you want to get into our mansion or even on the grounds (did I mention the laser grid of motion detectors and silent attack dogs?). I also forgot to mention that all of this can be controlled by a single little credit card sized remote control that fits into my wallet.

Sigh again.

Lovely isn't it? Not that anyone even knows where the mansion is (we placed it out of the way in the middle of nowhere). But it's good to take precautions (I know what you are thinking "all of that is a **precaution**!" Eh, well, it never hurts to be prepared, you never know what to expect).

You know, did I mention that I am in love with a woman I have never even met, and cannot possibly ever meet. Her name is Amila Mercer, the famous author. Damn, that woman is the most gorgeous woman to walk the earth (possibly more beautiful than the famous Egyptian Queen Nefertiti). She has long curly black hair that is almost blue, and these beautiful blue-black eyes, her skin is the color of café au lait, with the most luscious curves I have ever seen on a woman of her stature (five foot seven inches), doesn't that make her sound so irresistible? But to fully appreciate her beauty, you'd have to see her on T.V. or in real life. (I've heard rumors that she's not human… that she's a vampire or something… I didn't think that vampires could walk in daylight… I mean there was _Blade_, but that was just a movie. There's no such thing as vampires. A notion like that is absolutely ridiculous!)

Ah. Well. If you ever see her, you will get me an autograph… won't you?

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A.N I used a lot of the names that are used for Zoicite in the fan fiction world… two of them being mine.

Any of Anne Rice's vampires mentioned in this prologue do not belong to me, they belong to Anne Rice. I used them for effect. (I do not need to be sued… I am a waitress and make $2.25 an hour… I don't work a lot either…)

(Yes, I know that Zephyr's prologue is longer than Amilarina's but he is more talkative than she is.)

So how did you like the prologue? Was it good? Does it make you want more? (you are supposed to answer "yes" or some other word in the affirmative to all three of those questions) Anyway, the first chapter is going to take a bit to type up… (it's like twenty-four or so pages hand written)… so here went something….

I hadn't originally planned on having a prologue, but I thought that it would be an interesting introduction to this story and give you an insight into my characters.

Bye for now.

Fairieimp

Please Review… and give criticism or comments….  
you can email questions, criticism and/or comments at fairieimp (at) yahoo (dot) com


	3. Chapter 1

Here it is; the thing that every one has been waiting for… The Blood is Love: Part One: Eternal Kiss: **CHAPTER ONE! **YAY! Okay. This chapter is officially 21 pages hand written on college ruled paper in my handwriting (which is pretty small… so yeah… that's like 12 pages typed… I think….). Hopefully, this chapter will leave you wanting more (that way you can give lil' old me some more comments/criticisms from your reviews… (hint hint)… )

I have also decided to do something different with this story. Chapter one will be in third person omniscient, while chapter two is going to be in first person. Chapter three I haven't decided on whether to make that third or first person, and although this may be confusing at first, I will make a note at the beginning telling you whether it is in first or third person. (First person will switch POV from Amilarina to Zephyr.)

I have also decided that I have come up with an excellent twist to this story… once you read the first chapter you might be able to figure out what I'm planning on doing… but if you don't figure it out, I'm not going to tell you! (Evil laughter)

Anyway, on with the story!

Ciao!

Fairieimp

p.s. '…' mental talking

"…" speaking aloud

**

* * *

THE BLOOD IS LOVE: PART ONE: ETERNAL KISS**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**

* * *

**

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**Open up your mouth  
Touch your lips to mine  
That we may make a kiss that can pierce through death & survive  
Your words have branded my mind**

**---------------------------------------------**

Amilarina was always the first to rise; she loved to see the sunset. Her attire was a simple gauze dress of pale blue that clung to her lithe figure.

She picked up the sword that was lying on the table in her room and ran a finger along the blade, producing a single drop of blood, confirming that her blade was still sharp after all these years. She had inherited the sword from her father after he passed away; it was a beautifully ornate broadsword, the hilt embellished with the stone that represented her house, dark blue sapphires.

She practiced with it, sparring with invisible foes, her 24 year old body moving swiftly and gracefully, the swish of the blade as it cut through the air the only sound.

"You're _still_ practicing with that thing, Amila?" A haughty voice that Amilarina knew so well asked from the door way.

Amilarina swiveled, ready in a battle stance, the sword still in her grip, "I practice every morning, Reitia. It keeps my body young." Her eyes glinted with laughter, "I could practice with one of these," she gestured to a wall of guns, "but I am afraid they might wake the dead."

Reitiana rolled her lavender colored eyes at Amilarina's attempt at humor, and leaned her 26 year old frame against the door. Retiana wore a silk gown of the deepest blood red, which was a very startling contrast against the pale white of her skin. Her purple-black hair was up in a messy, but elegant bun. "The Queen is awaiting us."

Amilarina returned her sword to its resting place and walked out of the room to join Reitiana, "You know that we don't have to speak in formalities. We've been with Sere for so long now that it is ridiculous to refer to her as anything but 'Sere'."

"Yeah, but it just feels wrong not to speak of her as the queen that she actually is every once in a while."

"I guess you're right," Amilarina shrugged as they rounded the corner to the room that was unofficially known as the 'Conference Room'.

Reitiana and Amilarina took their respective seats around the table where they met every morning after their Queen rose. The other three were already seated.

The Queen, Serenitatis, rose to speak, "Good evening ladies, I see that we are all ready and well, (not that anything on the contrary would be). It has come to my attention that some of us are feeling restless of the lonely and dark confines of this estate, and are venturing out on their own without the permission of either myself or this court as a whole," she paused, letting her eyes fall on each of the four seated.

"As you all know, there are now these so called 'Vampire Hunters' that wish to destroy our brothers and sisters. We _cannot_ afford to be left in the dark if any of you wish to go out at night, either to hunt or to find your mate. We _cannot_ afford to lose one of our numbers, considering we are the only five of our race that has survived the years."

"Sere, I have been doing research on these hunters and have found that they are a radical Liberal group that does not wish to see any of our kind in the Nation's capital or in any of the government. These people have offered up rewards for the death of any _vlampbirien_! People are making money off of the idiocy and gullibility of the human race. They cannot come to terms with the fact that we keep the tax payers from having to pay higher taxes, by keeping the prisons less filled," Amilarina stated. "And they don't know that the half-breeds of our race are already in the government, some of them even hold the prestigious office of senator pro tempore and cabinet officials, even the Secretary of War and Defense!"

"I just don't understand," Minakarei started, "Why do they hate us so bad?"

Reitiana's violet eyes lit up with hatred, "Because of that damned Vlad Dracula! _He_ was the one that made such a bad name for all of us. And then there was Bram Stoker, who made us all into some sort of ugly monsters!"

"Calm down, Reitia. Our people in the government are trying to silence them. These people have nothing better to do than to bother us," Serenitatis told her. "Our beauty and intelligence have saved us more than once in this life time. Let us not ruin that by letting ourselves become careless. This going out without telling anyone has got to stop. None of you are allowed outside this mansion without my expressed permission."

"But Sere-" Litiunia started, only to be cut off.

The Queen glared at Litiunia, "No. I will not be treated with any kind of insolence. I have been your queen for over three thousand years. I will be respected."

Litiunia bowed her head in respect and shame, "I understand, my Queen."

"Serenitatis….?" Amilarina asked.

"Yes?"

"I wish to ask permission to go out tonight and search for my mate. I am getting restless and hungry," Amilarina stated.

The Queen looked at her in astonishment, "_You_wish to go out? That is very weird. Normally you wish to stay here to work on some sort of project to keep us safer within these walls." She paused, and eyed Amilarina's hopeful expression, "But I guess that it is your time to go out by yourself. I too would get restless being locked up in this place."

"Thank you, Sere," Amilarina replied, "May I have permission to go get dressed?"

"Go ahead."

* * *

"Damnit!" Zephyr cursed as he stubbed his toe on one of his gadgets, "I don't know why I even keep all of this shit in my room! Maybe I should ask for another spare room to keep all of this stuff in…. God knows there are enough of them in this infernal place."

Zephyr walked the short distance to the room where all of his colleagues were situated. Mal, Joe, and Nic were hovered around Dare and what looked to be a map of some sort.

"… Well, to get in here without anyone being aware that Dare is actually in the building we need a distraction," Nic was saying, "Anyone up for it? And where the hell is Z?"

"I'm right here," Zephyr answered, "But I won't be here for long. I'm going out. I'll see you guys later." He walked out of the room, ignoring the protests from his comrades.

He glanced in the mirror before he got into the garage to get his masterpiece. Black twill pants, coupled with military issue combat boots, a black muscle tee, and a black leather jacket gave him that 'bad ass bad boy' look. Add in long, wavy strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a long pony tail, a double pierced ear, and green eyes to get lost in… you have one helluva gorgeous man… and Zephyr knew it and he flaunted that knowledge. He also had his twin 1911's in their back holsters.

He walked into the garage.

* * *

Amilarina was dressed in black with ice blue trim. Her black, leather corset had ice blue lacing, her black, leather mini-mini skirt had ice blue threading, and her black lace up boots had ice blue laces. She was looking to get laid... and she was wearing the outfit that had gotten her what she wanted more than once. Aquamarines dotted her tri-pierced ears, and adorned her neck and fingers.

She went to the garage and started up her black Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Convertible, (top down), and drove off into the night. She was headed for her favorite club… owned by one of her vampire friends, Kelimatan, known as Kel Kristian… the club was called 'The Raven King.'

* * *

Of all of his gadgets and improvements, Zephyr's car was his favorite. A black Nissan 350Z with a red neon under kit; NOS, 50 CD changer (filled with heavy metal and rock music… which just happened to be blaring at the moment.), and 524 speakers in the back seat; and, to top it all off, an entire arsenal of guns and ammunition in the trunk (what more could a body guard ask for?).

He sped towards a new club that he had heard about. It was called 'The Raven King.' It was rumored to be owned by a vampire, but that was a silly notion to Zephyr. When he arrived at the club, he pulled in next to a black Porsche.

* * *

"Amila! How good it is to see you again!" A bartender with dark, spiky brown hair, deep, chocolate colored eyes, torn blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with a picture of a raven wearing a crown yelled above the loud booming techno music. 'You look like you're here to try and find a good lay in that get up,' the man added mentally with a smirk.

"Good to see you too, Kelimatan," Amilarina responded. 'However, it is none of your business what I am here for… even though you are correct in your assumptions.'

Kelimatan laughed, "Well, what can I get for you?"

"Bloody Mary, extra everything. And please make it fresh for me," Amilarina asked, eyes pleading hungrily.

"Be back in a minute," and with that, Kelimatan disappeared from sight.

As Kelimatan left to get Amilarina her drink, Amila spotted a gorgeous man with short, spiky black hair with red highlights. He was dressed in typical gothic style, all leather, all black, with stereotypical white face paint. Her blue eyes met his brown ones, and a nod from him signaled her over.

"Here's your drink," Kelimatan stated, all but slamming the glass on to the bar.

Amilarina started, distracted from the man, "Thank you, Kel. It's fresh… right?"

Kel looked taken aback, "How long have you known me? One hundred some odd years; just try it… it should still be warm." He began polishing glasses in typical bartender style.

Amilarina took a sip of her drink and was gripped by the familiar hunger for blood (it probably didn't help that the drink was pure blood mixed with moonshine alcohol, which was about the only thing that could get a several thousand year old vampire drunk… and even pure moonshine had to be in large quantities… like two gallons or so… enough to kill a human being), most of the alcohol in the blood was destroyed upon entrance to her bloodstream, but some of it stayed to give her a slight feeling of happiness… There's got to be at least a pint of alcohol in here, she thought to herself, not wanting to mention it to Kelimatan because his knowing smile told her that she was right.

She looked around for the black haired man, but she discovered that he was gone. She instead set her sights upon a strawberry blonde that was standing at the door to the club with a very confused (albeit adorable, Amilarina added) look plastered on his face.

Amilarina looked at Kel and gestured to the blonde stranger; a shrug of his shoulders told her that this guy was a new comer. She would just have to make him feel welcome.

* * *

Zephyr walked into the club and was startled to see so many people in a place that was relatively new. He saw a bartender polishing glasses and talking to a beautiful black haired woman in what looked to be a leather ensemble with matching leather thigh-high lace up boots. Okay… well beautiful didn't even begin to describe the woman… ethereal would be a better word for the beauty that this woman exuded.

He walked slowly over to the bar, watching the woman as she sipped what appeared to be a Bloody Mary… his mind said that the red of her drink was too bright and thick to be tomato juice, but she was finished with the drink before he had a chance to get to the bar to check it out. Quit that, a woman can be that beautiful without being something dead, he reprimanded himself.

"Hello, I'm Zephyr Evans," he suavely introduced himself to the woman when she had her back turned to him.

"I'm Amila Mercer. Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. Evans, I've heard so much about you… especially since you made the sexiest man alive last year, beating out your boss by tenths of points. I bet you are still getting hell for that," Amilarina introduced herself to him, turning around and mentally enjoying the look of disbelief that suddenly appeared on his handsome features.

This is who I want to take to my bed tonight, she told herself… and I always get what I want.

His eyes went wide as she turned to face him… This is really her, he thought… I never thought that I would meet her, but here she is.

"Would you care to dance?" She asked him, her eyebrow cocking quizzically, both stunned and amused by his reaction to her.

"I-I'd love to, bu-but I don't kn-know how to da-dance…." He replied, stumbling over his words, inwardly grimacing at the spectacle he was creating for the woman that he had dreamed of meeting for so long.

"Why do you come to a dancing club if you don't know how to dance?"

He knew the correct answer to this question, "I came to get away from my companions…."

Kelimatan interrupted the two, "You seem new here, my friend, would you care for a drink? It's on the house since you seem to be acquaintances with one of my favorite and most distinguished guests."

Zephyr raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yep, and even if it wasn't on the house, I'm sure Amila here would gladly cover the cost of any drink that you bought," Kel stated. "So, what'll it be?"

Zephyr thought for a moment, "… Bass beer in the bottle."

"I'll have another of my regulars, Bloody Mary, extra everything."

Kel smiled warmly, "Comin' right up." He turned and left.

"That's Kel Christian. He's the owner and bartender," Amila told Zephyr, "Are you up for that dance? I can teach you how."

"What kind of dance?" He asked as they walked to the dance floor.

She smiled mischievously, a hint of seduction in the way that she walked and the way that she spoke, "Dirty dancing…."

He looked at her dumbfounded; the most beautiful woman in the world wanted to dirty dance with him… and possibly take him to bed with her… "I must be dreaming," he said aloud what he was thinking without realizing it.

"Teach me," Zephyr said simply.

Amila moved in front of him, and pressed her back against his front. She could already feel the arousal within him. "Put your hands on my hips…."

He did what he was told and she glided his hands where the palms of his hands were resting on her butt.

She started moving her hips rhythmically with the music. "Follow my movements…."

He started moving his body in time with hers and they were soon lost in the rhythmic pattern of the dance and of the music. They were startled when the music ended, and Amilarina swiveled in Zephyr's arms, his hands now resting in the small of her back. He was taken by surprise when she kissed him, but it took him mere milliseconds to start kissing her back, fully and passionately, their eyes closing and tongues intertwining.

Amilarina broke the kiss when the smell of his blood became too much for her to bear. She turned and nearly sprinted to the bar where her Bloody Mary and his beer were waiting for them.

She sensed Zephyr come up behind her, but heard Kelimatan's unmistakable laughter ringing in her head, 'You couldn't take the smell of his blood, huh? That's just one of the many problems about taking a human to bed with you… the blood lust gets to you.'

Zephyr watched her drink her too red Bloody Mary while he drank his own beer. It's just a trick of the light, he told himself, and everything looks different in this light.

'Haven't I told you to stay out of my head before?' Amilarina scowled as she quickly downed her drink.

She turned to Zephyr and kissed him hard on the mouth. He almost pulled back when he tasted something salty and metallic, but realized that it was probably a trick of his senses or that she had cut herself when she was brushing her teeth or something. Vampires DO NOT exist! He mentally yelled at himself, you're just being stupid.

"Do you want to go somewhere more _private_?" She asked him, her voice full of sexual promise.

He nodded, "Where?"

"Follow me," she said as she walked through the door.

* * *

He followed her Porsche for ten minutes to a remote road that led to a mansion in the middle of nowhere. The mansion itself was magnificent; it was a three story, Victorian Era mansion, done in brick with blue and white trim. The curtains were all drawn, and they were a very dark color. Zephyr was captivated by the place, which must have cost Amila Mercer her life savings. I didn't think that authors could afford this kind of stuff… perhaps it was in her family, he mused as he got out of his car.

His train of though; however, was interrupted when Amila decided to get out of her car, saunter up the drive to the door (up a series of steps), where she opened the door and beckoned Zephyr inside. He immediately followed.

It took him a few minutes to adjust to the light, or lack there of, and he was in awe of the furniture. The tables and other furniture were all Louis XV, the lamps were original Tiffany, and all of the artwork on the walls was all originals as well… ranging from Picasso and other modern day painters to Boticelli and Donatello and too many others to name. There was a Michelangelo sculpture in the corner, handmade oriental rugs on the floors, as well as the fur from a now extinct Caspian tiger in the corner in front of the fire place, which had a roaring fire going all ready… as if she knew that he was going to be there….

His train of though was interrupted once more as Amilarina bent over to unlace her boots, giving Zephyr a nice view of the (unclothed) flesh beneath her skirt. He felt his arousal grow to heights that he had never known, almost to the point of being considered painful… he didn't understand; he'd been with other women before and none of them had affected him in this way.

Before he knew what was happening, she was up the stairs and had darted into one of the rooms and Zephyr wasted no time in following her there.

The room that she had gone into was covered in silks of every shade, every texture, and varied from opaque to translucent. Burning candles lined the shelves at various heights and intervals along the walls. The bed was a huge mahogany canopy bed, draped in the same silks as were on the walls. He could see her silhouette behind the translucent ice blue curtains.

He walked as if in a trance, his body willing him to stay, that there's something fishy about this, but his mind willing him to move towards the bed and pull back the curtain. What he saw took his breath away.

Amilarina was reclining on silk pillows of every shade of blue imaginable, her lithe form unclothed, a seductive look graced her face; the blue of the pillows highlighting her hair and making her eyes look even more beautiful.

Zephyr hastily undressed, his guns hitting the floor with a loud sound; he winced even before they hit the ground.

"What are those?" Amilarina asked him, seductive turning quizzical.

"Guns," he said simply, as he let the rest of his clothing float to the ground.

She was surprised when he didn't answer her fully; she knew exactly what kind they were and she also knew that one of them would make a nice addition to her collection. She was also surprised at how well muscled his body was. No wonder he won sexiest man alive, she thought to herself… he's also very well endowed… lets hope that his talents are as good as the display.

She beckoned him to her with a "come hither" look and a crooked finger.

Somewhere classical music floated through the air… it was something dark, yet beautiful… but he couldn't place his finger on it….

All train of rational thought was lost as he positioned himself over hers, his body balancing perfectly over hers, so not to crush her. Her lips met his in a deep, passionate kiss, as his body melded with hers in a dance of fertility older than time.

* * *

Zephyr awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and sunlight streaming in through the now opened window. He groggily opened his eyes and rolled over, and realized that he was in the bed alone. He looked at the clock (that wasn't there last night) and was immediately fully conscious. The clock read 1:23 PM.

"Shit!" Was heard ringing throughout the mansion as Zephyr hastily got dressed. He noticed a small white envelope lying on the pillow. It was addressed to "_Mr. Z. Evans_," written in very elegant, almost calligraphic, cursive.

He opened the letter and read it as he hurried down the stairs:

_Zephyr,_

_Thank you so much for the wonderful night. I'm terribly sorry that I wasn't there when you woke up, but my agent called during the middle of the night and told me to hop the next plane to England, that I had been called to meet with the Prime Minister. I wish that I could have wakened up beside you, but my priorities lie with my books, and yours with your charge. I just hope that last night was as good for you as it was for me._

_Bye for now,_

_Amila_

There were directions from the mansion to the main road included with the letter.

He left the mansion in a hurry, notnoticing that one of his guns was missing.

* * *

Amilarina was miserable. After she had left Zephyr at one of her mansions, she had locked herself in her chambers and had been drinking heavy alcohol nonstop for the six hours that she had been home. She had gone through seven bottles of vodka, sixteen shots of homemade moonshine, three bottles of whiskey and fourteen bottles of rum and had still not hit the stage of tipsy… she was buzzed alright, but she wanted to drown her sorrows (the pile of broken glass from the empty bottles that had been thrown against the wall attested to that) and her extremely high tolerance for alcohol didn't help her much.

She had also been cutting her wrists repeatedly for the past hour, hoping that the minor amount of pain caused by running the blade of her dagger over her flesh might help ease the pain that had tormented her after leaving Zephyr. But her excruciatingly fast healing powers from being undead didn't even let the blood flow free long enough to cause more than a drop to have hit the ground since she had started.

So she had decided to throw the empty alcohol bottles at the wall in anger, but all that did was create a mess that she would have to clean up later. Tears of frustration flowed freely in pale pink rivulets that stained the white dress that clothed her body.

She was tempted to indulge in the blood lust that her kind was so famous for, but that would draw the attention of those damned vampire hunters, and she really didn't need that right now.

Amilarina finally decided that sleep would be best for her. She lied down in her bed and was immediately taken to a dreamland of nightmares and horrors. Zephyr's gun resting on the pillow beside her, her finger wrapped around the trigger...

* * *

When Zephyr returned to the mansion, he was straight away accosted about his whereabouts the previous evening, which he readily ignored and locked himself in his room. He had taken a shower and while he was redressing, he realized that one of his 1911's were missing.

"Where could that have gotten off to?" he asked aloud as he went about tearing apart his quarters for his gun.

It took him two hours to completely search his quarters twice, very thoroughly, and there was no trace of the weapon anywhere. He quickly pressed the intercom button on his wall (through which his comrades had been trying to reach him for the past half hour because it was suppertime.

"Have any of you seen one of my 1911's lying around anywhere?" He asked into the speaker.

"Nope," Joe's voice was the first to come through the microphone. His was followed by more "no" and "haven't seen it," which made Zephyr more frustrated than he already was, as he trudged down to the dining room.

It hit him halfway to the dining room, "She has it."

* * *

So how did you like the first chapter of my story? I hope that it is what you expected (of didn't expect if that makes it any more appealing to you). Please review with comments of improvement or encouragement.

The second chapter will be up soon… and if you didn't realize the prologue has been altered slightly.

Thanks and until next time,

Ciao!

fairieimp


	4. Chapter 2

You know, one of the things that I have discovered is that people enjoy dark, depressing things and vampire stories more than they enjoy anything else. I have discovered this by watching my hit counter (this story currently has over 1000 hits, and my new dark, depressing one-shot has more than 100. which is more than the rest of my stories… well OAAD has about 90, but that's besides the point….). So, I'm writing more on this fic, more in hopes that you people will actually review instead of just reading the fic… I mean, if you only read the fic and don't tell me how I do on it, then I have no idea whether people actually like it or not, therefore I don't know whether I should continue the story or not. (Though, I'm pretty sure that the first chapter could actually stand on its own…). Ah, well, you people get the point.

Anyway, as I said in the first chapter authors note, this chapter will be in first person POV and will be similar to the prologue in how it will read.

So, here goes nothin'.

Ciao!

Fairieimp

**

* * *

THE BLOOD IS LOVE: PART ONE: ETERNAL KISS **

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

(Amilarina's POV) 

I didn't notice it until a few days ago that Zephyr looks a lot like my Santeo… the resemblance those two have is uncanny! I mean, if I could put a naked Zephyr next to a naked Santeo… they would be almost identical… they even make love similar… I guess that is why I was so attracted to Zephyr in the first place.

Sigh.

I showed Sere a picture of Zephyr and asked her to compare the way that he looks to the way that Santeo looked (I told you that she was at my wedding to Santeo didn't I? I guess not, she was in the back ground… I didn't notice her until she said something to me….) she even said that Zephyr looks like Santeo.

(I stole Zephyr's gun… I've been meaning to find him and give it to him… it shoots really well… I hope that he's not mad that I've took it….)

Sigh again.

I've seen that black haired man a lot lately. Almost every night that I have been out… but I haven't seen Zephyr any… I wonder where he is… but perhaps I can get the black haired man to bed me… yeah, that's what I need to do… it's not like I can get one of those so called STD's… I'm a vampire… vampiric blood kills every toxin known to man. So I can sleep with whoever I damn well please (and I do so often)….

Sigh.

I have been really miserable since Zephyr and I had sex… and that was only a week ago… I don't know why… perhaps its because he reminds me so much of my Santeo… but I've never felt this way about anyone else… and trust me, I've really never felt like this after I've fornicated (if you will) with any other person (be it man or woman… and there has been a lot of them… come on, I'm over three thousand years old…) so I'd know if there was any chemistry between the people that I have slept with and myself… so take my word for it. There seems to be something special about Zephyr, but I just can't place my finger on it… I doubt that he is my mate… there are too many special rituals and signs that go along with that and I don't have any of the symptoms or signs… I don't think… maybe I do and there just delayed… but I've never heard of "delayed" signs… ever. But then, there could be such a thing… and that would explain why I'm so miserable… but I could be miserable because that was the first time that I have had sexual relations with anyone in about a year… so that could also be the reason… I'm not ready to rule out all of the options until I sleep with the black haired man… seeing as though those are the two men that keep haunting my thoughts recently….

It doesn't help that I have this gut feeling that I am very close to finding my mate… especially when there are vampire hunters about… wait… what if a vampire hunter was my mate… that would really be tough to deal with… it'd be like 'hey, um, I hate to tell you this, but, uh, I'm a vampire, and your, uh, kinda my mate… and I'm kinda gonna have to, uh, turn you into one too… hehe… yeah. Sorry 'bout this hon, it's, um, gonna hurt just a little bit… but only for a minute… wait! Don't kill me! I didn't know you were a Hunter! Ahhh!" and he'd stake me and turn me into a pile of dust…. Poof. And I'd be gone… right… at least that's how it works in the movies or on our vampire cousins. Our kind is a bit harder to kill… you have to cut off our head (and make sure that the head isn't close enough to touch, because it will reattach itself), cut out our hearts, burn the heart, put the head on a stake, then burn our bodies and scatter the ashes of the body and heart, separately (be sure to scatter them… if not, the body will pull back together)… but you see, the stupid vampire hunters think that there is only one kind of vampire and not two kinds… so if they just happen to stake one of us, they'll get a rude awakening to a very angry vampire… and probably wont live to see the light of day. (My attempt at humor was obviously lost on you people.)

But I don't even know what the black haired man's name is! That irks me! Perhaps I will follow him the next time I see him… that way I can find out who he is and where he lives… and most importantly find out whether he is a Hunter or not….

Sigh.

I doubt that you could tell whether I was a vampire or not. My heart beats like everyone else's, (yeah… and you thought a vampire's heart didn't beat… the blood has to flow through our veins some how) my eyes are only slightly brighter than a normal human being, but that can be explained away by contacts; my body is toned and hard, but that can be explained away by working out at the gym; my skin is only slightly cooler than a human's, but some human's body temperature is cooler than other's (my temperature normally runs about 94 degrees… (normal human body temperature is anywhere from 96 degrees to 99 degrees, depending on their body chemistry)… unless I've just fed… then it runs about 109 degrees….)

I wish that I could just sleep for a hundred or a thousand years… but then if one of those two men was my mate, then I would be S.O.L. or shit out of luck… why does my mate have to be a mortal man! I hate that! Why couldn't he be a vampire or something where I could just sleep for two hundred years or so and he would probably still be alive! Damn mortals with their short life spans… I need my mate! After three thousand years you'd think that I would find him, wouldn't you? I'd surely like to think so… maybe it's not my time yet… maybe my queen has to find her mate before me or my other companions… but just because she's our queen doesn't make her any better than the rest of us… does it?

Sigh.

I just can't understand why it is so damn hard for one of us to find our mates… I mean, you'd think that it would be easy… you just have to sleep with a bunch of people and which ever gets you pregnant is your mate… if you sleep with enough people without protection, you're bound to get pregnant sooner or later! (More the former than the latter… or at least that's how it would work if you were mortal… with us, it's a different story… the conditions have to be just right, with the correct people in the right position, in the correct mood… of course they would have to make it as hard as possible to find our mate!) I'm on the verge of giving up… if I don't get pregnant by one of these guys, I'm gonna sleep for a thousand years or so… perhaps I will just spontaneously awaken when it's time for me to find my mate… maybe….

Ah, well, I'm going to go find either Zephyr or the black haired man… if you see Zephyr, would you please tell him that Amila Mercer is looking for him? …. I knew you would….

* * *

(Zephyr's POV) 

Dammit! Why did she have to take my gun? Why! Of all the things that she could have taken from me why did she have to take my gun? I mean the other day, I really needed it! Damned people set us up for an ambush! What did I do to deserve the taking of my prized possession!

Sigh.

How can you stay mad at someone so beautiful… and so good in bed? But, alas! She _did _take my gun… my best gun! I may have two of them that are exactly the same… but that was my favorite… it was my _right hand _gun… and I just happen to be right handed… so I'm having to use one of my Beretta's instead… that sucks… I want my gun back….

As I said, I really needed the other day… (I'm not as coordinated with my Beretta as I am with my Colt… so I was in distress) … last week, we were going to a convention… it was a set up… I should have seen it coming… a corporation that I didn't know, asked us to come and check out their equipment and product to see if we wanted to buy into their stock… I got a bad feeling about it, considering that they specifically asked for Darek to come out there… the damned sons of bitches cornered us and opened fire with several automatic weapons… good thing that our car is bullet-proofed… Mal and I were injured during the fire fight… Mal was scraped by the bullet, while I took one dead to the left shoulder, embedding in my rotator cuff, and fracturing my collar bone… that was painful… though the adrenaline of the fire fight kept the pain away for a little while… I didn't know that I had been shot until I felt and saw the blood dripping down my arm out of the corner of my eye… I was bed ridden for a couple of days… good thing that we have a specialty doctor on our payroll… he wont say a thing about it….

I went to the club last night to see if Amila was there… Kel said that she had been looking for me and that he would tell her that I had come looking for her….

I have a very weird feeling about Amila… it's almost as if we were meant to be together… I feel some sort of urge to protect her… perhaps even more than I want to protect my liege… great… that's not one to put on the books… Mal would have my head on a silver platter for even instigating that I would even think about saying something of that nature… he'd think that I was going rebel and get Dare killed… yeah, right….

Sigh...

It bugs me though… we didn't use protection… I hope to everything that she's not avoiding me because she's pregnant… that would really suck… they'd have my job for being that careless… I can't have a child or a wife in this kind of work… but if she really is a vampire… SHE CAN'T BE A VAMPIRE, VAMPIRE'S CANNOT AND DO NOT EXIST!

Sigh...

I can't believe that I'm letting such silly notions of idle gossip get to me… just because she has the most ethereal beauty, most brilliant intellect, and the brightest eyes that I have ever seen on a human being… but she did have a heart beat… vampires are dead… therefore they don't have a heart beat… and she was warm to the touch… once again… vampires are dead… therefore they would be very cold… and vampires can't have sex because they are dead… okay… I just explained why she can't be a vampire and why I'm being so stupid….

Alright… now it all makes sense… except for the fact of why she disappeared so suddenly… I checked on the net about her story about having to go to a cross-country book signing… it was bogus… her next book signing is in town… maybe I misread it and it was a photo shoot? She is a model too… maybe that's it… but why didn't she wait until morning to tell me… or tell me that night for that matter… though… I don't think that it matters much… I was just a one-night-stand… she didn't have to tell me shit… and perhaps she didn't like the idea of waking up next to someone that she wouldn't remember having sex with (but she was perfectly sober… wasn't she?)… Or maybe she doesn't like the fact of having complicated affairs with a man that she doesn't know… that's it… (That has to be it) … there… I explained the fact that she left before day-break too….

But then there's the fact of that too red Bloody Mary… it was the lights… the lighting was too dim and there were a lot of black lights… black lights make everything look brighter and too much of a color… that's right… (I need a cigarette… and I don't smoke that often… a cigarette would be good… it would calm my nerves… that's a good idea…)

I guess if you see Amila, tell her that Zephyr Evans is looking for her, would'ya? … Thanks….

* * *

That was the end of Chapter 2… perhaps Chapter 3 will be longer and a lot more interesting and not take this long to get out… I guess it was because I've had a lot of stuff going on with school and relationship stuff that I haven't had time to write… or I haven't really been in the mood to write… anyway… I'll try to be better about next Chapter….

Oh… and if you people don't start reviewing and telling me how I did on my story and if you like it or not… then I'm not going to continue... I'll permanently leave it right here… and you wont get anymore vampire story… or any OAAD… so there.

TTFN: ta-ta for now!

Ciao!

Fairieimp

P.S. Questions? Comments? Flames? Criticism? Email me at fairieimp (at) yahoo (dot) com or at icegoddess (dot) merc (at) gmail (dot) com


	5. Chapter 3

Hi! I know it's been a while since my last update, but my muses have been on vacation. So here's Chapter 3.

Sorry about the long wait!

Thank you to all of my reviewers.

fairieimp

**The Blood is Love: Part 1: Eternal Kiss**

**Chapter Three**

She moved swiftly and silently down the alley, too fast for mortal eyes to see. One might hear a brief rustle of clothes as she passed, but that could just be a trick of the ears.

She was hunting. Her mind was in full predator mode; every move that she made was calculated, cunning, precise. She watched her prey from a distance, following the movements that he made, figuring out who he was and why he had piqued her nerves and hormones. She paused in the shadows as he stopped to talk to another man, her hypersensitive ears picking up the conversation easily from several feet away.

"Micah," her prey said to his companion, "I'm sure that you would have no problem getting me to infiltrate their society… I can adapt well to that kind of culture."

"I understand that, my child, but it would not be the safest route. We need a way that would not endanger any of my protégés," Micah said. "And who knows if their kind even exists? They are only a myth, you understand."

She could smell that Micah was a _vlampbirien_, her native word for vampire. He was of her cousin race, she knew, and she felt that he was planning on threatening her and her companions' existence. Her vampire cousins gave of a specific sent, one that was given to them by their maker, and was the essence of their maker. Her kind did not give off any scent, for she was of the higher, 'mythical' vampire race.

Her prey sighed, "Micah, really; give me some slack. I know what I'm doing. I've been doing this before I met you. I have been searching for centuries for the mythical ones."

How could he have been alive for centuries if he's not a vampire? Her mind raced to find the answer, but none came.

"I understand, my child, but I cannot risk losing one, especially one as valuable as you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; save it for someone who really cares, Mike. And, besides, what have you got to lose… besides my 'valuable' place in your mediocre hierarchy of internal government," her prey told Micah.

What _is_ this guy talking about? She asked herself. And why does Micah sound so familiar to me?

"Look, this is how it is. I think that I saw one of the five mythical princesses…"

Micah cut him off, "Do you know how many times I have heard that? A countless number in the past five centuries; I really wish that you would stop chasing after your fanciful imagination and get back to _real_ business!"

Her prey glared at the one called Micah, "I'll talk to you later," and walked off.

She followed him with as much prowess as before, though this time careful to avoid the eyes of this Micah; although, not even his preternatural abilities could match her own. Her mind was continually going over their conversation… and it bugged her that her several millennia old, analytical mind could not figure out what they meant.

She slowed her pace as her prey walked into the coffee shop, and she decided that she would come in as a customer too because she enjoyed a coffee every now and then. After all, a vampire like herself cannot exist on alcohol and blood alone.

She was now able to survey and take in what her prey was wearing. The red highlights that graced his black hair a few weeks ago were gone; he had on a simple pair of dark blue jeans, a dark red long sleeved shirt, and a pair of black sneakers that were of some obscure skateboarding brand.

As she went into the coffee shop, she allowed the aroma of the coffee and human bodies envelop her. She ordered her favorite, iced café mocha. As she waited for her coffee to be made, she scanned the crowd for her prey. She discovered him, sitting alone in a corner booth, reading a book (_Dean Koontz's Frankenstein City of Night_) and sipping on a hot coffee.

She approached him, her mind racing with anticipation of being so near to her prey… he smelled of smoke, sex, and … vampires? She shook her head to clear the smell… it must be Micah… he was a vampire….

"Hi, you seem like you've been here before… I'm on a business trip…." She said, "Do you mind if I sit down?"

He looked at her skeptically, taking in her Versace suit, Prada pumps, and Louis Vuitton purse, "Sure. I'm Lucian Heller."

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Heller, I'm Amila Mercer," She watched as his eyes widened in recognition. His eyes were this beautiful shade of hazel… they were green on the inside and brown on the outside… the effect they had on her was a feeling of drowning… she had always been drawn to a person's eyes….

"Miss Mercer… I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you. It's been so long since your last book came out… Wasn't it called _Eternal Kiss_?" Lucian asked, his long fingers making a steeple under his chin. She noticed that his skin was actually tanned.

She nodded as she took a sip of her iced coffee and shivered from the pleasure of finally tasting something that didn't have blood in it, "Yes it was. I do believe that it was one of my best works… I'm absolutely fascinated with the possibility of there actually being such things as vampires… but that's such an absurd notion; I shouldn't have voiced my opinion on that… what if the press heard me? I'd be discredited…." She looked around calmly, adding to her act, "And besides, I've heard the rumors that they think that _I _am a vampire! _That _is what is absurd. Vampires cannot walk in daylight. And here I am, sitting in this coffee shop with you, in the middle of the day no less!"

He laughed. It was a deep throaty laugh that sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. I have to have him in my bed. "You are something Miss Mercer. I'm really glad that I have gotten to meet you. I love your work. Come on, grab your coffee, I'll show you around town."

"Thanks," She rose to follow him, and they walked out into the sunlight together.

They had walked around the town all the rest of the day and it was now beginning to get dark. She hoped that her prey would invite her into his home… It would only be a really friendly gesture of appreciation of sharing her company… and she had only dropped so many subtle hints that she wanted him to be her prey… in the way that she walked, talked, and stole glances at him. She was all too sure that she had lured him in for the kill….

Amilarina wasn't surprised when they arrived at his apartment, and he invited her in for an evening drink. She was surprised, however, when he brought out a well aged bottle of Pinot Gringo for them to drink. One that must have cost a fortune that it didn't look like he had.

Lucian's apartment was modest and elegant. The style and furniture were modern, but the prints on the wall were renaissance from Michelangelo, Rafael, Da Vinci, and many others, including the famous print of "The Creation of Adam" that was a modernistic favorite. She didn't know how to interpret this, considering she was expecting something more gothic and sensual because of his manner of dress at the club.

"I love your apartment, Lucian, it reminds me of my own at home," Amilarina stated, looking at the paintings and trying to start a conversation between sips of excellent wine.

"Thank you," He said, moving closer to her on the couch, his leg brushing against hers. "You would be a beautiful painting."

She raised her eyebrows at this. Truth be told, she was the inspiration for a print that Lucian had on his wall, "Why thank you." She sat her glass down on the coffee table, and rested her hand on his leg.

She could smell the sent of the wine mixed with the exhilaration and sudden burst of adrenaline that was now coursing through his veins. She shuddered almost imperceptibly, excited the thought of actually having her prey.

His fingers brushed a stray strand of her hair out of her eyes and she turned to look at him. Their eyes locked, his finger trailed to her chin and pulled her closer to him. He could feel the cool warmth of her breath on his lips.

They met in a kiss. The passion was sudden and unexpected; tongues intertwining, fingers running through hair and over bodies; unbuttoning and pulling off clothes.

Her body was on overdrive; hyped from the smell of the passion, desire, and blood that was pouring off of him, intoxicating her more that the strongest alcohol. She didn't seem to hear that small voice in her head telling her that he wasn't the one and that something bad was going to come of this; that he was masquerading as someone and something else other than what he really was.

As he took in her nude body, (unmarred except by a tattoo of some weird symbol on her upper thigh), he caught something feral in her eyes; something that made him shudder involuntarily and pause; something that made him think that he was right… about something….; something that caused his desire for her to increase tenfold. That small glimpse of something in her eyes had caused all of his emotions to war with each other and the brief time that he was still made her look at him quizzically.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, seeing the look of turmoil behind his eyes.

He shook his head, half to clear his thoughts and encourage himself, "Nothing…."

She looked at him skeptically, an arched eyebrow cocking quizzically; she searched his mind for any clue of what had made him pause. She caught a glimpse of her own eyes, feral, and then he closed his mind to her. Her eyes widened imperceptibly in shock, no mere mortal could close off their mind to her... but her thoughts drifted elsewhere as he kissed her; a soft moan escaped her lips as he entered her, their bodies melding as one.

Her eyes snapped open and her preternatural muscles tensed, wondering why there was an unfamiliar arm was draped around her naked frame and why she was in an unfamiliar place when it was daylight. The realization of what had happened the previous night hit her, and she shifted to remove the weight of Lucian's offending arm. As she rose from the floor, she stretched; her body tight from the previous night's activities.

She dressed, having to search for several of her articles of clothing, and then wrote a short note to Lucian, explaining why she had left and how wonderful of a night they had. Before she walked out the door, she looked back at his sleeping form. He moved slightly, and she realized that he was reaching for her in his sleep.

When Lucian woke, it was night and Amila was gone. He came to his senses quickly, the feelings and emotions of their night together rushing back on him. He could smell blood in the air, the tantalizing smell of sweet copper, and he realized that it was his own; the half-moon shaped marks from her nails in his back. Inhaling deeply, he could even smell the sex and her perfume still clinging to the air.

Lost in the memories, he jumped when the phone rang. "Hello?" he answered after three rings.

"Kazimeras," a hauntingly familiar voice on the other end said, "You've been a bad boy. What happened to your celibacy?"

"Micah," Lucian breathed vehemently through gritted teeth, "You may be my master, but I have told you not to spy on me!"

"You should not speak to your master that way, _liaison_, or you might not get that precious blood that you desire."

"She's mortal. If she got pregnant from me she would die. Half-_liaison_ children grow too fast… I learned that with Cosette," the mention of his wife's name caused tears to burn at the corner of his eyes, "I was careful this time."

Micah's laughter echoed through his head, "My poor Kazimeras, appearances are not always as they seem."

The line went dead and Lucian sat there stunned, staring at the small white envelope that Amila had left for him, with Micah's words running through his mind and the scenes from last night playing in the background.

For some reason that he could not ascertain, Zephyr felt betrayed; like his wife had been cheating on him for years and she had just told him the awful truth. It didn't help that he couldn't get Amila Mercer out of his head.

He had gone every night to the club to see if she had been looking for him; he was pretty sure that Kel had labeled him obsessed by now. He had decided that he would go tonight, for the last time, and see if she was there.

Kel raised an eyebrow at him when Zephyr walked through the door, "I was wondering when you were going to show up. You're still looking for her?"

Zephyr sighed, "Yeah, but I keep telling myself that tonight is the last night. If I don't see her, then I'm going to come to terms with the fact that that she never wants to see me again."

"You want your usual?" Kel asked him.

"Actually, I want something stronger, some tequila," Zephyr smiled half-heartedly. "That way I won't remember it when she doesn't show up."

"Sounds like a plan, bro," Kel laughed as he poured Zephyr a shot of tequila. "This stuff is strong." He sat the drink in front of Zephyr with a light click

"Good." Zephyr brought the shot glass to his lips, but paused and set it back down; a quizzical expression on his face, "Did you hear that?"

_Zephyr_. He turned around looked, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Someone's calling my name," Zephyr said to Kel, who by this time was looking at Zephyr like he was crazy.

Zephyr jumped and spun around when he felt breath on his neck. He found his lips crushed by someone else's and his senses assaulted by _her_ perfume.

_Amila_, the name ran through his head a hundred thousand times while he was kissing her, every nerve on his body on fire, responding to the sudden onset of passion from the woman that he loved.

She knew that he was the one that she wanted, but she wasn't sure if he was her mate. (If she could've she'd have fucked him right on Kel's bar)

She felt bad about leaving Lucian lying on the floor, but she knew that she couldn't have stayed much longer (sex like that causes even the most secure three-thousand year old vampire crave the Blood Lust). Lucian had been a great and passionate lover; he was a little on the sadomasochistic side, but she enjoyed that kind of stuff every now and again. Her mind was still reeling from the feelings from her night with Lucian, but for some reason, being with Zephyr made those feelings almost disappear.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Zephyr asked her.

Amila laughed, "Looking for you. I didn't realize that you would come here."

His mouth gaped in astonishment, "_You_ were looking for _me_?"

"Yes," she said and kissed his mouth closed.

_Amila!_ Kel started. _I didn't realize that you had come in. Where the hell have you been?_

_I'm still looking for my mate. You'd think that after three thousand some odd years, I would've found my mate by now. _She sighed.

_You smell like vamp._

_I do? I shouldn't… though I did sleep with someone who was near one. Does the name Micah mean anything to you?_

_Name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Just take care of yourself girl._

She pulled away from Zephyr, lips red from the pressure of their kiss, "Kel! I've missed you! Can you get me my usual?" _Before I'm tempted to drain Zephyr here?_

Kel laughed, "I've missed you too, girly. I'll be right back, on the house." _I'll put extra in it._

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

Zephyr looked at her quizzically, his eyes bright from the adrenaline, "Why does he have to leave when he gets your drink?"

"Because I don't like my juice from a can."

"Oh," he smiled; his fears of her being a vampire relieved for the moment. "How 'bout you and I get outta here when you're finished with you drink?"

She looked at him, her eyes full of sexual promise; she sent him images of them locked in passion. "Of course," She said in a barely audible husky whisper, "I'll give you whatever you want…."

She could see the arousal in his body, causing her to be more aroused and her nerves burned with the thought of the night to come.

Kel was hunting, his mind trailing to his conversation with Amilarina. They had been lovers at one time and he was jealous of her new interests (and the fact that he wasn't her mate).

He considered himself attractive (5'10", 150 lbs of pure toned muscle, eternally 26 years old, dark brown hair, bright blue eyes set in a handsome face with full lips, and an adequately sized package to top it off) in fact, he used to have women literally fall at his feet when he was just a fledgling. He sighed and focused on his prey; a murderer wandering the streets, looking for _his_ next victim.

He smiled, causing he footsteps to echo; the murderer stopped and looked around, frightened but not realizing that the hunter was becoming the hunted. Kelimatan loved to play games of "cat and mouse" with his prey; he thought that fear tasted better.

He walked into the light as the murderer turned around and fled, or at least _tried_ to flee; Kelimatan was on him within two steps.

Kelimatan put his hand over the mouth of his struggling prey and bared his neck; the pulse in his jugular fluttering against his skin. "I'm here to pass your judgment, and you're going straight to hell, mother fucker," Kel whispered vehemently into the ear of the terrified murderer.

The murderer whimpered as Kel placed his mouth over the jugular, right over the pulse and tried to cry out as Kel sank his teeth into the vein.

Kel let the blood fill his mouth, savoring the sweet, coppery taste. He swallowed and could feel the blood start to fill his every pore; his mind reeled from the images of the murders that his prey had committed. He started to suck, pulling the blood forcibly from the vein, causing the man both excruciating pain and extreme pleasure.

Kel drained him; he sealed the bite marks with a bit of his blood, making the murderer's death look like an accident. He dropped the dead man unceremoniously, a sickening crack resounded in the alley as the man's head hit the pavement.

Kel shuddered from the exhilaration and the orgasmic bliss of a fresh kill as he walked into the back door of The Raven King.

"Here ya' go Ames," Kel said as he set down her 'Bloody Mary,' "fresh, just like you like it."

"Thanks again, Kel, I owe you one," Amila said as she took a long drink. She shivered from the pleasure of vampiric blood.

Zephyr was freaking out about her drink being so red, especially with him being so close to it. _Z, calm down. It's a normal Bloody Mary_, he told himself, _remember, the black lights make everything look brighter_.

She finished her drink in a few minutes, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," he said as he followed her out the door.

Zephyr was pretty sure that they hadn't ended up at the same place as they had been the first time.

This was a blue-white, two-story, colonial style house with French doors on the second floor leading to a balcony. The house seemed to glow in the dark.

Zephyr wondered in awe at how much money the woman had. _She couldn't have gained that much from books alone_, he thought to himself.

He followed her lithe form up the front walk, her white shirt and pants easy to follow in the moonlight.

Inside the house was white with ice blue accents. He followed Amila up the stairs and into what he assumed to be the master bedroom. The bed was covered in white and ice blue silks.

They stood in the middle of the room, the black of Zephyr's attire contrasting with the white of Amila's and the white of the room. She pulled him into a kiss, her hands finding his ponytail holder and freeing his curly blonde locks, into which she intertwined the fingers of one hand; the other hand placed on his hip, underneath his shirt (he let out a hiss of air as her cold fingers met his warm skin).

His fingers unbuttoned her shirt, aching to feel the warm flesh underneath. She gasped as his fingers ran over her bare skin.

A soft moan escaped her lips as he kissed and nibbled at her neck; she had to force herself not to make him hers, then and there. (It surprised her that she didn't just drain him.)

As she pulled him back up for another kiss, he whispered "I love you" against her lips.

"What did you just say?" She whispered, startled from his sudden confession.

"I said 'I love you.' What did you think that I said…?" Zephyr looked into her eyes.

Amila pulled back from him and sat on the edge of her bed, she sighed. "How can you love me when you don't even know me?"

"I just love you. Is that so hard to understand?"

She looked at him in exasperation, "You are the one that doesn't understand. It's been years since I have been in love; I just can't go jumping into it like that."

"What happened?"

She looked at him, a sadness filling her age-old eyes, "He died."

Lucian impatiently paced his floor.

Why did this woman completely absorb his thoughts? And what did Micah mean when he said that appearances were not always as they appeared? She is human… she's not a vampire… she walked in daylight… and she didn't smell or taste like a vampire… and she didn't drink his blood… and she drank a coffee… vampires can't have anything other than blood. So she isn't a vampire… then maybe Micah wasn't talking about Amila… maybe he was talking about something else…. But what could he possibly have been talking about?

He needed his master's blood to help clear his thoughts.

He thought back to the note that she left him. So simple, yet so complex; she had to leave, and she enjoyed the night… rough, hard sex; nails and teeth… his favorite kind of sex.

He shivered at the thought of it. It was the best sex that he had ever had… not saying that his Celeste was bad in bed, but Amila was far better and was more experienced… it was as if Amila hacked into his mind and pulled out all of his desires and fantasies and made them a reality… it was almost uncanny how she did that. But how? Was that what Micah was talking about?

Lucian sighed with frustration, flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for dawn.

'How did he die?' The look in Zephyr's eyes asked.

Amilarina sighed, 'It's going to be a long night… and not the one that I had planned.'

Zephyr looked at her with concern, "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. I… I just can't help but be curious."

"It's okay," Amila said. "I'll tell you. I need to get this off my chest, especially since you look so much like Santeo."

Zephyr's jaw dropped, "You're last lover… looked like me?"

She nodded, "You even act like him… so carefree and womanizing." She laughed mournfully, "So where do I begin?"

"The beginning," he smiled.

She told him everything… well… almost everything. She made it modern day, and left out the part that she was a vampire. Renamed her children modern names, and made Santeo a hero, lost in a war against a distant country. By the end of the tale, Zephyr was in tears.

"You lost everything; your husband and your children. How are you so successful and so out going?"

She sighed and smiled, "They're deaths taught me that even when you think that you have everything, you never do and it can be taken away from you in an instant. I had my mourning period, and I realized that Santeo would want me to move on. I base a character in each of my books on Santeo… it's my little way of keeping him alive in my own little way."

Zephyr locked eyes with Amilarina, "I want you as mine."

"You don't understand what that entails…" She tried to keep her hunger hidden from him, "I have to go." She roughly handed him directions back to the road, "Here. This will get you back to where you need to be."

"Amila, wait!" Zephyr yelled as he saw her start to run from him.

She turned back to him with a bitter smile, "I can't."

Alright. That was it. Sorry about the almost cliff-hanger there.

Questions? Comments? Flames? Review! Or Email me at fairieimp (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Until next time!

fairieimp


	6. Chapter 4

Greetings!

This is your author here, finally updating. My muses have been on vacation lately and not wanting to work on stories. :/ There are probably some mistakes in here, but please forgive me for them. I'm already working on the next chapter, so it should be out within a few weeks or so.

Thanks to all of my reviewers. Hopefully the story will get better!

So on with the story!

fairieimp

* * *

_Amilarina's POV_

After my episode with Zephyr, I needed to clear my head. I decided that I would go hunting to quell the blood lust that was starting to override my senses.

Our town was the equivalent of Batman's Gotham City. It was overrun by criminals, although ours were mostly of vampiric origin.

The shady parts of town were the easiest places to find a drug dealer or a robber. I was lucky and found four.

They never saw me coming. I killed two, slashing their throats with the dagger I keep hidden and watching the blood flow down the alley; the smell of their blood overwhelming. The other two i drained, slashing their throats to make the scene look cohesive.

I had not felt fresh blood flowing through my veins in almost a decade. It was blissful, intoxicating and liberating. I felt more alive and powerful than I had in a while. I understood why Kelimatan hunted every night.

I had just started to leave when I suddenly smelled vampire. I was almost sure I was the only one around.

What if...? I turned around to see that one of the men that I thought I had killed was starting to stand.

Fuck.

It didn't take me long to fix my error in judgment. I was on him before he was fully off the ground. His head fell from his shoulders and rolled next to the body of his friend.

I heard footsteps and retreated to the top of a nearby building and hid in the shadows.

"Jack!" I heard someone yell as the footsteps approached closer.

I smelled vampire again, this time stronger, and waited to see what would happen next.

I saw four men approach the scene.

"Who knows how to kill _liaisons_?" One of them asked the leader.

_Liaison_? What on earth is that? I asked myself, noting the word to tell my Queen.

The leader sighed, "Several different groups, unfortunately." He paused.

I was sure he was examining things for vampiric influence.

"It must've been a drug deal gone bad," another of them said, "Didn't you tell Jack to stop using drugs?"

The leader nodded, "That I did, Charles, but I'm not so sure about your theory."

"What about a rival faction?" The first one asked.

"That would be most likely," the leader stated. "There doesn't seem to be enough blood for four victims does there?" He looked around, searching for something out of place.

"No, perhaps the _liaisons_ were told to collect the blood for their masters?" The final one spoke up.

"Perhaps," the leader replied, musing, "It's always good to have blood on hand as a bartering tool between factions." He paused and turned, "Come . Let's figure out who did this."

Shit. This cannot be good. I left soon after the footsteps had disappeared and decided it was best to report what I had seen to my Queen.

* * *

_Zephyr's POV_

How could I have been so stupid? What could she have meant by "you don't know what that entails?" I asked myself as I was following the directions that she gave me.

I was shocked when I found myself in front of the gates to the mansion. Did those directions actually get me here? I double-checked, and triple-checked when my answer was yes.

I didn't actually want to be here. I put my car in reverse and started to pull out of the driveway when my phone buzzed.

"Yeah," I answered when I saw it was my boss.

"Where the Hell are you," he asked, annoyance lacing his voice, "and when the hell are you going to be back? I've called a meeting and you need to be here for it."

I sighed, defeated and put my car back into gear, "I'm sitting in the driveway. I'll be inside in a minute. Do I have time to shoot off some frustration?"

"Yeah, but make it quick. The meeting is in an hour." He said and hung up.

I closed my phone, beeped the gates and drove straight to the range.

The range has always been my favorite spot, and the most prized of all my inventions. The range itself was underground. I designed it with moving realistic targets that could shoot at you with rubber pellets. It had a walkthrough hostage situation. The body armor I designed to go with the simulation was able to absorb all the shock of the pellets, but could render you immobile if you were shot in the right place, as well as keep track of how many times you were hit and how many times you hit your targets. The simulator was also designed to shut off if you were hit in a killing location.

I set the simulator to a 30 minute training session after I had put on my gear.

I worked myself hard during that thirty minutes. The computer readout showed that I had made fifteen head-shots and three fatal wounds. That meant that I had missed two of the targets.

Fuck.

Amila was stuck in my head and messing with my accuracy.

I went to my quarters, took a shower, and got ready for the meeting.

None of them seemed too happy when when I entered the conference room.

"What'd I miss?" I asked.

"While you were out gallivanting around the town, we got word that some of the larger gangs have declared war on each other," Malachi replied.

I blanched and immediately thought of Amila.

"We're not sure what prompted the war, but we are sure that there is going to be civilian endangerment," Mal paused. "We all have a special talent, and we are going to have to work together to try and get this town as safe as we can."

We all nodded.

Mal continued, "Z, I need you to come up with surveillance cameras for the police to use to catch these vagabonds. The would prefer high resolution cameras that would catch facial detail, as well as cameras that can be slowed down to milliseconds, in case that is the only opportunity to see the criminal's face."

I nodded, already formulating plans to update the existing surveillance equipment that we already use here at the mansion.

"Joe, I need you to set up meetings with the police. Find out which of their members we can trust and those that can't be trusted." Mal stated as Joe nodded, grinning at the possibility to play detective.

"Nic, You and I will work together in canvassing the streets for the best places to put up Z's cameras." He paused and looked at Dare, "You, Dare, will not leave the premises."

Dare was not happy at Mal's command, but knew that it was probably too dangerous for him to be going places in the middle of a war.

"Alright, men, let's get to work." Mal said and the meeting ended.

I tried to call Amila on my way to my lab, but only got her voicemail. I left her a message and resigned myself to several hours behind steel doors.

* * *

_Lucian's POV_

As much as I tried, I couldn't get Amila out of my head. Our night together was seared in my brain and I could still feel the long faded marks of her passion on my back.

My master's words had been eating me since he called.

"Appearances are not always as they seem." What the hell could he mean by that?

I heard my phone ring and instinctively answered it.

"Yes," I answered, knowing that it was my master.

"Kazimeras, someone killed Jahoket's youngest _liaison_. Jahoket declared war on Silvania's faction because of their rivalry in that area of town. Be careful and don't get attached. I'm hoping we don't get pulled into this. You are my oldest. I do not need you to die." He said and hung up.

I sank in my chair, very aware of the consequences of a war. Most of the humans thought that vampires were superstition, but an all out war could cause the vampire hunters to go on a kick to kill everyone they thought was a vampire, leading to the death of several innocent civilians with a sun allergy.

I could only pray that it would be over soon.

I called the number Amila had written on her card, got her voicemail and left her a message, asking if she would like another night in paradise.

* * *

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Questions, Comments, Criticism? Review!


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